Since 1975, Charles Zebe, DMD, has treated patients with a wide array of oral health issues at his private practice, Accurate Dental Group in Mercerville, New Jersey. One treatment that Dr. Charles Zebe uses for both restorative and cosmetic purposes is the placement of dental crowns.
A crown is a tooth restoration that completely covers a tooth and is used to treat decayed or broken teeth. Also used cosmetically, crowns can be placed to give oddly shaped or stained teeth a more aesthetically pleasing shape and color. There are three main types of crowns: metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and all-ceramic.
Because of their conspicuous appearance, metal crowns are often used on baby teeth or molars rather than on permanent front teeth. Strong enough to withstand heavy chewing forces, metal crowns rarely break and can be made from gold or less expensive base metal alloys.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns have a metal base but are covered with porcelain materials that are shaded to match the patient’s surrounding teeth. These types of crowns are more natural looking than metal and stronger than all-ceramic crowns, but they often show a dark edge along the gumline and can cause opposing teeth to wear.
All-ceramic crowns are made of natural-looking, light-reflective porcelain materials for optimal cosmetic appeal. While they offer slightly less strength and durability than other types of crowns, they offer the best aesthetics, especially for front teeth.
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